Fender.



P. VAN VLAANDEREN.

FENDER.

P. VAN VLAANDEREN. FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1914.

1,178,429. l I Patented Apr. 4,1916.

smh/hueso@ THE COLuMm/n PLANunuAml co., ,WASIHNGTOM n. C.

UMTED srATns PATENT onirica.

PETER'VAN VLAANDEREN, or zimxom; .-JEnsnY;

:FE-NBER...

Lia-8.4.29.

Specicationof LettersfBatent.

v.Applicationile'rcl `April 3, 1914. "SeriaTNoL829;330.

Another object-Tis vthe provision of an auf tomobile vfender which may beactuatedby an fobj ect `contacting therewith, soasto grip andcarry the object and prevent lthe same from ypassing under vthe wheels of the l'vehicle. l

Other objects Awill appear and ibe lbetter understood from that embodiment `of my invention -Yof 'which the following l'is Aa specification, reference being 'had to "the l accom- Y panying Adrawings forming vvpart hereof, in

which Figure 1 is a top planviewota-portion of an automobile frame `showing my improved fender attached thereto. Fig. 2vis la detail side elevational view 'of Jthe' guard and one of the swinging arms applied with parts of the automobile frame broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the circuit breaker, forming part of my invention.

As shown in the drawings, 5 indicates the guard, 6 the swinging arms, 6 the braking means actuated by the arms, and 6 the circuit breaker actuated in conjunction with the break actuating means.

The guard 5 may be formed of any suitable metal, and is preferably shaped as shown in Fig. 2, whereby to be provided with the angularly-disposed attaching portion 9, which is bored so as to be bolted or otherwise secured to the frame of the vehicle a. The guard is positioned obliquely to the frame as shown, and has its lower end in spaced relation with the ground, so as to readily pick up an object in its path during the progressive movement of the vehicle.

The arm-carriers or brackets 7-7 are preferably formed so as to be provided with tubular body portions 10, having ends 11-11 bored so as to be bolted to the frame a of the vehicle. The front ends 12-12 of the arms are bifurcated as shown and thus provide -suitablefyoke-bearings 'for the support ofthe'arms'6-l6. :These armsl6 may beef-anyfdesirable'shape,'but are preferably formedasshownin ,2, of suitable me'- ta'llicetubing orithelike. At one portion of their -vertical sides, "the 'arms are provided wlth -drums vl-fl, 1whichl drums are located :in the lbifurcations of the arm vcarriers 7,--asshown- The drums aresecured tio the arms 6 by the screwboltsllll, which also secure-to the drums ctheends of the-strap'.l This stra-p is lpreferably formed Yof ,leather or the 'like,

and is so secured y-to'ritfhe arms by -m'eans of the=drums,1that upon it assuming the positionAv shown infdott'edlinesin Fig. l, the; arms will be swung' 'inwardly lto ithe dotted-'line position shown 4`in the same figure.- 'The drums, as :shown -in Fig. f3, `are provid-ed fon a :portion fof their peripheries lwith the ratchets I5, which-are engagedby fthe pawls 15. :mh-ege lvpawls are-actuated .by the-coil springs i117 and vare `adapted to l sliding'ly 1reciprocateiwithinlthe: sleeves-18, housedwithinV theaV tubular bodies '102 ofithef brackets. In order toV manuallyk release the `pawls from engagement with the ratchets, the pawls are .providedfwith-theangularly disposed `knobs Hor -handles 19 which extend through the cylindrical members by means of the slots 20. These pawl and ratchet connections are provided so as to control the outward movement of the arms 6, for it will be seen that the pawl admits of the inward movement of the arms and prevents the outward; and in order to admit of the outward movement of the arms, the pawl must be drawn back and released from engagement with the ratchet. v In operation, the arms are normally extended as shown in full lines in Fig. l. As the vehicle collides with an objectV in its path the object will obviously contact with the strap, and force the same'backwardly, thus swinging the arms 6 inwardly, and by virtue of the pawl and ratchet connection above described, the outward movement of the arms is prevented, thus retaining the object between the arms and strap and within the guard. Asthe object isy gripped by the device and carried along by the vehicle, it is iaatented Attanasio.

manifestly desirable that the vehicle will be immediately stopped, and to effect the instantaneous stopping thereof, automatic means are provided which will be presently described.

Connected to each arm by suitable means are the cables 21-21 which are trained over suitable idlers 22 and are connected to a common sleeve 23; and to admit of the ad-Y justment of the cables 21 turn-buckles 24: are provided thereon, as shown. The sleeve 23 is slidingly mounted on the actuating rod 25 of the brake-pedal 26, which operates the usual brake-system b. A collar 27 is secured to the rod 25; and positioned around the rod and between the collar and the sleeve, is a coil spring 28. It will be seen now that as the arms are swung inwardly, the rotation of the drums 13 will draw on the collars, thus progressing the sleeve along the rod, andby virtue of the spring being compressed against the collar 27, the brake rod 25 will edect the braking of the wheels, thus retarding the movement of the vehicle.

In order to fully stop the vehicle, when the brake is applied, la circuit-breaker c is provided, and is adapted to operate simultaneously with the braking member and to interrupt the electric-circuit of the spark system in the motor. This circuitebreaker is composed of a spring-controlled swinging arm 29 which is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite contacts 30--80, which contacts form the connection between the terminals 31-31 on the circuit breaker c. rIhe arm 29 is connected to one 01": the cables 2l by4 a iieXible element 32, and is adapted to be swung around by means of the element 32 being pulled by the cables 21, upon the latter being actuated by arms 6 swinging to their inner position. Thus it will be seen, that as the arm 29 is rotated, the contacts 80-30 provided thereon, will be moved away from forming a contact between the terminals 31-31 of the circuit breaker, and obviously, the circuit being interrupted, the motor of the vehicle will stop for want of the essential ignition spark.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claim. i

`What is claimed as new is: y

A fender comprising tubular brackets, arms pivotally mounted on the brackets, ratchets to the arms, spring means for normally holding the arms in open position, spring pressed pawls carried in the brackets and engageable with the ratchets, said pawls and ratchets operating when in engagement with each other to restrain the arms against outward swinging movement but adapted to permit the arms to swing inwardly, and means connecting the arms together and adapted when isubjected to pressure to swing the arms from an open to a closed position.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER VAN VLAANDEREN.

"Witnesses M. E. LAUGHLIN, Griso. A. BYRNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

